Buick Enclave Power Steering Noise

Comments

I just brought my 2009 Buick Enclave back to Keys Chevrolet in Van Nuys with more steering issues. I could feel a slight clunking when I turned the wheel. My car now has 54,900 miles on it and I'm told the gear bushings are worn and it's $547.00 to replace those. Then I was told that the steering gear is starting to seep and will need to be replaced shortly for $1290.00. Just 11 months ago I had the steering stub shaft housing, inlet hose, and front frame bolts replaced because of similar steering issues. The steering has always given me problems since I bought the car and now it's no longer covered by the warranty even though it's never worked properly. I owned a Nissan before this and didn't have any issues at all (I sold it with 95,000 miles on it and never needed to replace anything). I had heard that since 2008 GM was building better cars now that didn't have the quality issues like before so I decided to support an American company and buy one... big mistake! I've already had the door frame appliques replaced because of awful quality (bubbling and peeling) and now the appliques by the windows have faded and are stained. The first few months I bought the car everything was perfect. I raved about it to all my friends and gave high recommendations. Now with the service I've received from Keys Chevrolet and realizing the quality of the Enclave, I'll never recommend GM to anybody. I absolutely love this car but the warranty problems never get fixed correctly and then you're stuck paying a fortune fixing the same problems when the warranty runs out ... not to mention the time spent on all of this. If a car company has bugs with a newer model they should cover those mistakes under warranty to show the customer they are fixing the issues to retain business and at least have a good warranty and service reputation.(this will keep your customers buying GM) After reading these forums and others online I've found that the steering issues are quite common with the Enclaves. I brought my car in last summer for an AC issue but was told they couldn't find a problem ... I'm really looking forward to this summer when that becomes an issue again! I'm sure I have many more issues I'll have to deal with in the future. As these issues arise, I'll keep posting messages to let the public know about GM's Service Centers and how they respond to warranty issues and issues that should have been covered. I'm also going to be consulting a lemon law attorney shortly and I'll be sure to let the public know all the steps needed to get your money back from purchasing a GM Lemon.

Have you already been in contact with the Buick Customer Assistance Center (800-521-7300) about this? If not, and if you would prefer to correspond via email, we can be reached at socialmedia@gm.com (include your name and contact information, the last 8 digits of your VIN and mileage, and a summary of the situation).

Well I guess I'm joining this discussion as I'm extremely unhappy with the turnout of my 2008 Buick Enclave. As posted by MANY others I too have the oil leak, awful power steering noise and also AC cooling issues. The Buick goes in Tomorrow for Diagnostics/estimate again and this will gauge where I go with this vehicle and GM in general/future.

For all those that post in here and are contacted by GM Social - know that they are not here to help. They are only commenting on here for appearance purposes. Once they private message you, their "help" ends. I have a 2008 Enclave and have had power steering noise for at least the last 25k miles and it has gotten worse and I posted on here and was contacted by Stacy of GM Social and she advised me to take to my dealer for diagnostic. I did and in speaking with the service manager at my dealership, I was told the gear housing and gear bushings as well as strut mounts need to be replaced. Over $1100.00 the repairs would be. He said there was a LOT of noise coming from my car and expressed great dismay, that on a $50k vehicle one would have to put up with this with no help from GM. He said this is a very poor design and he has never seen GM step up and offer a fix or assistance of all those he had seen come in. I was also told the strut mounts are something that one never should have to replace unless you are in an accident, which of course I was not. I am very disappointed in GM. This is not the customer service I expected from a large company that promotes customer service as being quality. I will make it my goal to let EVERYONE I come in contact know about GM and to be warned to NOT purchase a GM vehicle. I had been advised before hand not to purchase one but thought I would give them the benefit of the doubt and had been very pleased with my Enclave until the noises ensued. To now not receive assitance from GM on a flawed design that they are aware of is completely unacceptable. I know it is Caveat Emptor, but I will help with that all I can!!

We hope that your visit to the dealership tomorrow results in an accurate diagnosis, fltybck. Keep us updated, and if you would like for us to check into anything, please contact us via email at socialmedia@gm.com (include your name and contact information, the last 8 digits of your VIN and mileage, and a summary of the situation).

I hear you and afraid of not receiving the help we should as the consumer and doing our part in supporting GM...as I said tomorrow's diagnostic and what my GM service will do will guide me in the direction of my next vehicle purchase, which may be sooner than anticipated.

I am the original owner of a 2009 Buick Enclave with 70,000 miles. Over the past few months I have been experiencing the same power steering and strut problems described in this forum. Steering makes whining noise and the struts creak especially in cold weather. (Also had the bubbling applique issue) I had no idea this problem was widespread until today. Something made me decide to do a google search on the power steering issue today. The scary thing, this weekend I bought a new 2013 model with a sticker of $53K and I pick it up tomorrow. I am borderline freaking out after reading 17 pages of posts from people with the same issues that I have. I would like to know if GM has made any design changes to fix the steering, strut, and applique problems. If so, starting what model year?

I LOVE my Buick Enclave but I'm starting to feel like I'm in a BAD relationship. "Our" problems started awhile back, I can't even remember at this point in time. I've been through the steering issues that everyone complains of. I've had EVERYTHING related to the steering replaced and it has FINALLY resolved the "oh shoot, i can't turn" issue... it took a good 18 months and about $2700 or so to FINALLY resolve. I've had many problems which have been able to be fixed, but at a cost. My latest visit that finally fixed the steering also turned up that the coolant system needed to be replaced. No sooner do I drive out of the dealership (just this past Saturday) that my transmission is COMPLETELY messed up. Around 2800 - 3000 RPMs it knocks down into what feels like first gear. I called my dealership and my service manager is GREAT (with so much time spent with him with so many repairs, thank goodness) about the NEW problem with the transmission. Over the phone he says it's hard to diagnose but he's guessing it's an internal transmission issue which can cost anywhere between $2,000 and $4,000!!! I literally just passed the 100,000 mile mark 2 weeks ago and it seems that the car is falling apart. I've put about as much money as I can into fixing this vehicle that wasn't a cheap car. I fully expected it to last much longer than 90,000 miles and 4.5 years. Completely disappointed. I already boycott Ford due to a terrible 2000 Ford Focus debacle. Here's hoping I don't have to add Buick to that list now too.

tstoy, Let us know if you would like for us to check into this situation further with you. We can be reached at socialmedia@gm.com (include your name and contact information, the last 8 digits of your VIN and mileage, and a summary of the situation). Sarah, GM Customer Service

I too have a problem with my 2010 Buick enclave. 72,000 mile and the rack and pinion needs to be replaced as well as control arm. In all it cost me more than 1500.00 dollars. The dealership did help out by lowering their parts cost by $100.00. They told me they contacted GM to help out on the parts cost but GM refused. This comes on top of replacing both front struts 6 months ago. I wish I had room in this blog to tell y'all about my experience with my 2008 Acadia that I ordered new but like I said "no room" My file was more than an inch thick and the car was in the shop once a month, for 2 years, to fix issues. After I had enough I contacted GM and they told me they were going to do nothing because it was 2 years old and I should have contacted them sooner. I just thought each time it was fixed for good.So I traded it in for a new Buick Enclave CLX. Was great tell 6 months ago. I bought it with a warranty till 62,000 miles. I suppose I should have bought a longer warranty!I will be contacting GM and let everyone know what happens.

I am a very happy owner of a 2009 Buick Enclave with 43k miles and it is currently in the shop for a transmission problem that is supposed to be corrected by reprogramming (I think) but the car will lose 2 mpg as a result. While test driving, the dealer noticed the steering issue and advised. Luckily this all under warranty. I am a believer that the car is only as good as the service you receive from the dealership. I have had many new cars over the last 20 years (BMW, Lexus, Infiniti) and all had some kind of problem. I must say, the dealership I use to service my Buick (bought from as well) is spectacular. They communicate well and provided me with a loaner car equivalent to my car (I have 4 kids and newborn twins). Not only would I buy another Buick, I will always use this dealership. I suggest that the next time you buy a Buick or any car, meet with the service manager first and get some history on the mechanics. I left Lexus because the dealership near me seemed to have lost all of the senior techs and the kids they hired were nice, but nearly as knowledgeable and seemed to always refer to some book.

I guess in the USA dealers are more conciencous towards customers than here in Canada. I was even told by one dealer that Buicks were not covered under GM T.S.B.'s. Every now and then I must kick the drivers door to get my heated seat to work, sometimes it is the radio display that does not work (Navigation radio at that) along with other electrical problems, and there are times when I leave the car and the electricals keep on working. I was given the TSB number here by a certified GM Tech, and was told off, because I am not supposed to have official GM documents.

I have a 2009 Buick Enclave with about 63,000 miles on it. I was having the same type of steering issues...almost impossible to make a u-turn, very difficult to turn when backing out of tight spaces. I took my car to the dealership about two weeks ago...they replaced the steering rack and gear. We are still having the exact same problems. Thank goodness I purchased the extended warranty! I took it back in today for them to attempt to diagnose the problem. Hope that it is a quick fix as they had my car for two days the last time it was in.

We really have enjoyed our 2008 Buick Enclave, so much that we recently bought a LaCrosse, inspite of multiple issues with the Enclave; 2 GPS replacements, one sunroof leak, water pump replacement (all recalls), as well as multiple trim installation problems which were merely glued back in place by service. But following our latest purchase we discovered the Enclave needed a new rack and pinion because the OEM part was failing at 59,000miles. We had the work done outside of the dealership, as we are a long distance from the dealer and expected to pay out of pocket, only to find out this is a known premature failure for this vehicle make and model. Wish we knew this was coming prior to committing to another Buick. Would love to hear from a Buick representative as the service department at the dealership will not return my call.

My 2010 enclave with 32000 miles had the power steering whine since new. It was getting louder. I had brought it to the dealer (All Star Buick GMC Sulphur, LA). They fixed the noise but then it leaked fluid. So I brought it backed. It still leaked but not as bad. I brought it back and am now waiting for repairs. This is sad because it is nice on road trips. On long trips the third row seat is big enough for adults. The dealer has been good to me but this issue is with the design and there should have been a recall. I didn't know how wide spread the problem was until I researched it. At least it is still under warranty.

I can understand your frustration. I would love to look into this for you. Can you private message me your full name, address, phone number, Vehicle Identification number, and approximate mileage on your vehicle please? My email is socialmedia@gm.com "Attn Crystal" in the subject line:-)

I too feel like I had to replace my power steeing pump and all parts associated with the power steering WAY too soon. My car has 72K miles on it. I also have to mention to that i had to get my water pump replaced at 40k miles (GEESH!). Thank GOD that was under warranty. I get my car maintenance done at the dealership on a regular basis. I called Buick customer service and there was no assistance for me because of the mileage on my car I can say that I have owned non American cars before this and I didnt start having these kinds of major issues with those cars until i was well over 100k miles. Is this a GM quality issue? It makes me wonder after seeing so many posts about the same thing.....I will have to consider going back to non American brands after this experience with a Buick

So my 2009 Buick Enclave has 75,000 miles on it and here are all the things that have failed and been replaced the last 18 months.- Transmission (warranty)- Power steering pump and rack & pinion (out of warranty)- Ignition coil - first time (out of warranty)- Ignition computer and all the coils - second time (out of warranty but dealer got it covered)- Front sway bar broke (out of warranty but dealer got it covered since this should never happen)

My dealer service rep has been great in getting things covered since I have been in so many times to get things fixed. However, my loyalty to Buick will end soon as we will switch to another non-GM SUV.

I have a 2010 Buick Enclave that I purchased brand new. I noticed that there was loud squeaking and rubbing noises when I turned the steering wheel. I mentioned this several times to the purchasing dealer. They looked at it and said that the put grease or something in the steering column and that there was something that was set to be recalled about the steering column but wasn't yet with the Enclave. The sound went away and came and I tried not to be too annoyed by it. Then after issues with the purchasing dealer, I switched all my service to another dealer who has been fantastic. I told them about the squeaking in the steering and they told me there was a fix of changing out the steering fluid with transmission fluid - a fix suggested by GM. I agreed when they assured me it didn't affect the parts or the warranty. Now that I have 56k mile on it - I went out to my car this morning and there was a puddle of fluid under the front right light. I called the dealer, took the car in, and was informed that I need a new steering geer assembly. Is this normal? I've never had to replace this on a car before and I've had a Buick and other cars with well over 120-150k miles. I've already had to replace the tires before 40k miles, I've had the stickers on the door jambs wrinkle up and had to replace them numerous times. I've had a whistle in the front door. The doors were "adjusted and realigned"by the first dealer to supposedly give me a better seal and cut out wind noise but his solution to prove the wind noise was gone was pull behind a semi and then say how quiet it is. I am plagued by the front seat sensor that reacts to phones that GM has no fix for - except tell the consumer not to put their phone or other electronics on the seat. This just seems to be another thing in a long list of issues with this car. I just want to know if its normal that this part needs to be replaced - even with me having oil changes every 3-4k miles and tire rotations every other oil change? I am very regular with maintenance on my car and have all but one oil change at the dealer but to find out that this costly repair is now going to happen on a relatively new car under 60k miles is just not sitting well with me and is quite frustrating to me. I'm wondering if its even safe to keep driving the car for fear that the part old really go before the replacement part comes in.

I have the same problems and more. At 75k, after loving the vehicle, I had to replace the same gear in the steering. Still I have an annoying rubbing sound that you describe well. My appliqué or side stickers have too bubbled up like many others so I've read. In addition since October I've had the AC condenser and evaporator go out , two transmission issues and oil pan leak plus an airbag sensor go bad. Just this week, spent another grand on another sensor that went out, gas tank pressure thing plus one of the cylinders wasn't firing correctly causing my AC to spontaneously cut off. This enclave has become one huge disappointment now. At this price his vehicle should not have this many problems. It's a heap of junk. Buick lost me as a future customer . They should be embarrassed at how poor the reliability is.

I own a 2008 Enclave. Today at 59000 I had to get the power steering replaced along with power steering pinion and seal. My water pump also was replaced as apparently it was leaking. There is a loud clunk when the car is cold and I start driving. They could not find the noise, of course. I also had to replace all four rotors and brake pads. Nothing is covered and it seems by the posts here this is a known problem, as far as the steering is concerned. This is my third and last GM. I had a Jimmy, then Yukon, and now the Enclave. I can not support a company that does not stand behind their product when they know it is broken and needs fixing. I am very sorry my in-laws traded in their Lexus for an Enclave after riding in ours. I can only say sorry for leading them down the GM path. I forgot to mention at 2 years the entire exhaust system rusted all the way through and had to be replaced. I can not believe I payed this much for this vehicle and then with my tax dollars and now repairs. GM you should have been allowed to DIE!

What about the transmission? I brought my 2009 enclave in one month ago due to the transmission skipping, hesitating, rumbling whatever. They said it was a software glitch and that I would lose gas mileage. Well, irbid still skipping etc... And now it is worse! The good news is my 4 years are up in two weeks and I got to the dealer next week. I guess keep your fingers crossed! Gm are cars you should lease, not own!

I am sorry to hear of the issues you have had with your Enclave. I can understand your frustration with the ordeal you have described. I would be happy to research this issue for you. Can you private message me your full name, address, phone number, Vehicle Identification number, and approximate mileage on your vehicle please? My email address is socialmedia@gm.com please place "Attn Crystal" in the subject header. I look forward to hearing from you.

I am sorry to hear of the issues you have had with your Enclave. I can understand your frustration with the ordeal you have described. I would be happy to research this issue for you. Can you private message me your full name, address, phone number, Vehicle Identification number, and approximate mileage on your vehicle please? My email address is socialmedia@gm.com please place "Attn Crystal" in the subject header. I look forward to hearing from you.

It seems that we all are having the same problems with replacing the water pump and power steering pump -- for us it was all below 58,000 miles on our 2010 Enclave. Recalls are investigated/enforced by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. BUT, these issues will only bubble up to be investigated by the NHTSA if you go to their website and file a complaint: https://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/ivoq/ This is easy, and only takes a couple of minutes with their online form. It is ridiculous that GM can't build a reliable vehicle, so let's all get together and force GM to have to stand behind their shoddy products. One complaint won't be investigated, but if there are a lot of us that file the complaint, then the feds will look into this for us.

I own a 2009 Enclave.... I have had various issues including power steering rack replacment,etc. Luckily I had purchased an extended warranty... as I have had a number of issues... Now that the vehicle is out of warranty, my power steering pump is failing. 97,000 miles.... I have been told that the repairs are over $800.... I will be filing a notice with the NHTSA: https://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/ivoq . It seems this is a safety issue not being addressed by GM with a recall...